Chapter LXXXXIII

My Enemy's Enemy Is my Friend

I understand why my bed spring broke. Obviously, this is the favourite object on which Naruto sharpens his claws. It's completely in ruin. The scratches are so deep that they send shivers down my spine. Well… Since I'm going to train Naruto every evening, I'll make sure that he claws somewhere other than at home. I'll get a big penalty if I move given the damage; most are irreparable. One thing is certain, it'd be stupid to invest in another bed spring that the teenager will destroy. I will sleep on my mattress on the floor. Oh well.

When the embarrassment and humiliation leave me, I stuff all the pieces of wood into a trash bag. With Naruto's help, I bring my bed spring to the designated area, where furniture to be thrown away and donated is collected. I sigh when the task is finished. My body is rusty; even the slightest physical effort seems taxing now, especially since I tapped into my meagre chakra reserves earlier…

"Kakashi-Sensei! Naruto!"

That voice…

It's Shikamaru's.

He comes to us, hands in his pockets, wearing his bored face about everything that constitutes life. Meanwhile, Naruto briefly stands in front of me, bending his ebony tail around my legs like a spring. He's not aggressive, but he's suspicious of the other boy. Odd. I guess he's not used to being outside anymore. Perhaps he feels obliged to overprotect me after seeing me at my lowest point, between life and death. Maa, that must be it. Naruto has no reason to distrust Shikamaru.

"Yo. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to inquire about your condition," he explains wearily.

"Order from Lord Hokage?"

He nods. "Kinda. She wanted to keep you for another week, but the smell of carrion in the room persuaded her to discharge you early…"

I let out a nervous laugh. I'm happy to no longer smell my student's infamous scent. However, since I reek of this foul stench, my apartment will soon stink of death… Fortunately, I'm immune to it now.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asks, inspecting my demolished bed spring.

"He happened," I say, placing a hand in Naruto's thick mop of hair. "His claws destroyed my bed…"

A silence by and it's awkward…

His eyes discreetly examine me from head to toe when I look away. I don't need to see him to feel his gaze on me, seeking to discover what lies beneath my skin. Before he can linger on my hands and therefore, on my abnormally long nails, I put them in my pockets.

"Why don't we continue this conversation somewhere else, hmm? I doubt you came to ask me how I'm doing, am I wrong?"

"Indeed," he sighs, letting out a forced laugh. "We really can't hide anything from you."

With my senses sharper than ever, nothing escapes me.

'I know why you're here, Shikamaru.'

- XxX -

In the greatest silence, we go to a small relaxation area next to a convenience store. For once, Naruto is content to follow me without clinging to me. All in all, the rather heavy tension makes him anxious. I hear his irregular heartbeat, which betrays his nervousness. He's not the only one since Shikamaru's beats in a similar pace. We sit at a picnic table, and before the youngster can say anything, I break the ice. "I won't beat around the bush. I know it's you who's keeping an eye on me."

Shikamaru holds his breath, and a drop of sweat beads up on his forehead. He mustn't have expected me to blow his cover so quickly.

"Don't look at me with those eyes. I'm not an idiot, Shikamaru. Lady Tsunade was gonna send someone to keep an eye on me the minute I set foot outside. I know that you don't trust me anymore. Let's just say that no longer having to submit reports every day didn't help keeping this a secret from me."

"How did you guess that it was me?"

"Who else is better than you? Naruto trusts you. You've been in charge of this story since the very beginning. Why should I be suspicious? Besides, I noticed you this morning spying on me."

Shikamaru carefully searches for words, rolling his tongue several times before speaking. His eyes focus on my hands—rather, my fingers, which I hasten to hide in my pockets nonchalantly.

"Maa, you don't have to worry. I'm not mad at you. You're just following orders, after all. I don't intend to become more suspicious than I already am."

"She was right. You're perfectly aware."

I nod by clearing my throat. As for Naruto, he doesn't listen to us; he just observes what's happening around us, his arms crossed on the table.

"You're hiding things from us, and we're starting to doubt your sincerity."

"And you? You're not hiding anything, perhaps? I'm not the only one showing insubordination. Sakura revealed to me that she knows about the mark on my neck."

"What a drag…"

"I will remain silent as a grave," I reassure him. "I'd rather have you on my back instead of someone else. A member of the ANBU will inevitably take your place, and that will stress Naruto out. So, I will act as if nothing happened."

A heavy silence settles in.

Since Shikamaru is already aware of several … embarrassing and compromising elements regarding me and Naruto, I prefer him to be the one lurking around us. He's not my ally, but he works above all for the interests of the blond and therefore, indirectly for mine. I don't need someone random to discover my shameful secrets and start imagining things, proliferating other harmful rumours…

"Kakashi-Sensei…," he says darkly. "Which side are you on now?"

I frown. "Which side do you think I'm on?" I retort in the same tone.

"You're avoiding my question."

"Not at all. What makes you say that?"

Shikamaru smiles, crossing his arms. "Because you don't know yourself, right?"

His response makes my throat choke. I widen my eyes and avoid his gaze; at that, I touch the back of my neck. He hit the nail on the head. Of course, I decided to choose Naruto's side … but I'm still hesitant. Am I really ready to become the enemy of my own village? To renounce the Will of Fire which burns in me, which dictates my Nindō? Do I really have to choose between the two? I'm facing a difficult dilemma … much, much too difficult…

"That's exactly what I thought," he adds, letting out a sigh.

I sigh in turn, clasping my hands. "You're very intelligent, Shikamaru. My mission is to take care of Naruto, to make sure he stays on the right path and doesn't cause any trouble that would lead to his imprisonment. Putting the whole village against me… I'll put us in danger. Without chakra, I'm useless, and this group knows this very well."

I sigh again. "This spy… Whoever it is, is sowing discord between us. We distrust each other now, unable to know who can be trusted or not. How do I know I'm talking to the real Shikamaru? I can't know it. The enemy is already lurking, spying on us, waiting for the perfect moment to take Naruto away. How can I take a side when both are a threat to him as much as they are to me?"

Another silence, a shared opinion and a similar concern.

"Indeed… I agree with you. Godaime is also of this opinion. These guys are so well organized that it sends shivers down my spine. The less we know, the less they know. I just hope that what you're hiding from us doesn't hinder us."

That's why Lady Tsunade didn't force answers from me. I'm not the only one who believes my secrets can work in our favour. As long as we don't discover the identity of this mole, I'll be left alone. Of course, I fear that someone will want to interrogate me once this spy is found…

"I'll be honest. As long as our lives and freedom aren't threatened, I intend to cooperate."

"Has your mark progressed?" Shikamaru asks cautiously.

I shake my head. "No. Everything is normal… Maa, there's been no development. That said, it no longer causes me pain when I mould my chakra."

"Kakashi-Sensei… Is it possible that your body had to 'adapt' to it?"

"Now that you say it … maybe. This would explain why the pain decreases over time."

I caress the back of my neck. That would make sense. Naruto used his hypnotic powers to erase my pain. They were horrible, hellish, agonizing, even deadly. And the blond was fully aware of that. Since he doesn't mean any harm to me, he knew that the pain would disappear on its own, as if my body was gradually adapting to it. After all, the strange mutations didn't appear in the blink of an eye.

"We may find answers about this mark when we probe his mind," he adds. "It's also in the program, although our priority is his kidnapping. We made you aware of the project, right?"

"Yes… I know that this is planned for the end of the week. Although I'm against it, it is necessary."

We land our gaze on Naruto, who's sleeping with one eye open. His ignorance protects him from this heavy ordeal that he will be forced to face very soon. His weakened mind has difficulty rebuilding itself with the broken pieces, especially since several are missing. My biggest fear is that this session will break him for good, and that the damage will be irreparable…

"We're already putting together the team," Shikamaru explains. "Ino and I will be there. Godaime fears that Naruto will react very badly to the session. I don't think he can free himself of Inoichi's hold … but him as a chakra devourer, we can't predict anything."

"This makes him unpredictable, and we still don't know the extent of his powers," I add, scanning the surroundings with a wandering eye. "He wakes up for no reason when his body is about to give out and other unexplainable stuff like that. The possibility that he frees himself from Inoichi's grip can't be ruled out. If that happens, he will go into a fury, and I will be the only one who can reason with him. Naruto isn't ready to face his demons."

"What a drag," he sighs, rolling his eyes. "With what we discovered in the chamber of horrors, I understand him. I would've ended up traumatized too…"

Even if Naruto has amnesia, insists on remaining amnesiac, his mind must have recorded in his subconscious faces, names, information of all kinds—including the process that these guys used to transform him into one of these once-extinct creatures. This data is extremely valuable in helping him and counterattacking in any way. We're in a defensive position, with no opportunity to attack. I'll finally be able to know if I'm becoming a full-fledged chakra devourer, although it's unlikely. Naruto would rather I be human and alive than take the risk of me dying to turn me into one of them.

Human is a big word since I'm not really human anymore…

These demon fangs and my mutated nails are proof…

What I'd give to put into words what I am now…

Lost in my thoughts, I observe a father and his son leaving the convenience store. The father bought an azure-blue popsicle, which he splits in two to give half to his offspring, who displays a smile as radiant as the sun free of all clouds. My memory is failing me, I don't remember much about that night when I almost died. Yet, a fragment resurfaces. Iruka guessed that a popsicle might be within Naruto's reach. I'm sure he can't eat solid foods, but he's not restricted from liquids.

Curiosity gets the better of me, and I place a careful hand on the blond's shoulder to capture his attention. "Naruto, I'll go buy something," I say, pointing at the store. "I won't be long. Please wait here with Shikamaru, will you?"

The teenager pouts; at that, he utters a useless complaint. He expresses his disagreement, although he agrees to wait for me. I offer Naruto a few friendly pats before heading to the convenience store. I feel the piercing, persistent and anxious eyes of my student on me. I don't detect fear. Above all, he looks worried. He doesn't want to leave me alone, that's understood.

Surprised, but not surprised, I'm greeted coldly when I go to the checkout. The young man is so tense that I feel like he turned to stone. He refuses to speak to me, to say the slightest word to me. He's content with mechanical gestures. He accepts my payment and gives me my change without greeting me and wishing me a good day. Since I don't want to argue pointlessly, especially under Shikamaru's watchful eyes, I ignore his violent passivity. As long as he lets me buy what I want, and doesn't chase me away as if I were unwanted and carrying leprosy, I don't care. Nevertheless, I give one last glare as cold as this ice at this detestable person.

As Naruto curiously observes my purchase while sniffing it, I sit back in my seat and release the frozen treat from its packaging. Since I didn't want to linger there, I took the first one to the side; the colour doesn't change anything at all, but I'm glad it's blue. Like the father before me, I break it in two to offer half to Naruto. "It's a popsicle," I explain, handing him the treat. "It's solidified, sugary water that will melt if you lick and suck it."

Frowning, the feral boy grabs it and examines it more closely. According to his sulky expression, he's not at all convinced. After a little while of staring at it, he brandished it towards me, more precisely at my mouth. He wants me to taste it…

"…I'm not hungry, Naruto. Why not give it a lick? I'm sure you'll like it."

The blond frowns further, wagging his tail. He slowly brings it closer to my face, forcing me to step back as he goes. He doesn't trust this treat at all, and wants to know if it's safe. He's suspicious of new things that he considers dangerous and abnormal. I let out a sigh. I don't want to reveal my face at all.

I offer the other half to Shikamaru, who sighs heavily and reluctantly accepts this half, taking all of Naruto's attention. The youngster doesn't want to, but he must be as curious as me. Under the bluish irises focused on him, he decides to give the popsicle a lick and take a bite.

"You're really a pain in the ass, Naruto," he sighs, savouring the icy and imposed treat.

My student blinks a few times and returns his attention to his popsicle with a frown. He glares at it again. Nevertheless, he gives it a careful little lick. Naruto makes a few mouth noises, focused on the taste. His features soften as he licks his lips. He quickly gets a taste for it as he licks it with enthusiasm… A little too much for my taste.

My heart stops the moment he licks it from bottom to top before swallowing it whole… When he removes it, a stream of drool slides down this molested popsicle. I don't know why, but my mind imagines indecent things; my cheekbones are overheating.

'Do you really have to eat it like that or are you doing it on purpose?!' I grumble to myself.

To my misfortune, Naruto looks at me innocently while restarting his involuntarily sensual gesture. I turn my head in shame, blocking him from my vision by waving my hand. I'm so embarrassed that I want to crawl into a pit and disappear, forget that I exist, forget this image printed on my retina, which sees nothing other than this sexual gesture that my brain imagined all by itself. I'm probably scarlet red. He doesn't even do it intentionally; he has no obscene idea in his head.

'Please! Don't look at me while you do this! I regret buying it for you…'

I hear Shikamaru's amused laughter.

All in all, I know that a popsicle is within Naruto's reach…

"Kakashi-Sensei," says the youngster, avoiding looking at the blond. "Did you know that Naruto is gay?"

His words take me by surprise; I didn't expect him to ask me such a question. Why is he interested in Naruto's sexuality all of a sudden? Does this hide bad intentions towards me? I can't say… Without realizing it, I'm tense, on my guard. However, I feel obliged to correct him. "Hmm… That's not quite that. Long story short, Naruto plays on both teams. To ask me the question, did something happen?"

Shikamaru lets out a laugh. "I knew why you wanted the sensitivity of his tail not to be known. During the bath with our friends, someone grabbed his tail by mistake… Well, how can I put it… Naruto curled up into a ball, squeezing his thighs… I think you can easily guess what I mean…"

"Oh?! I'm not the only one to cause this kind of reaction in him?! Good very good…"

I breathe a sigh of relief. I was afraid that I'd be the only one to arouse these unwanted desires in him, and that Naruto would have inappropriate feelings for me… That's not the case. Anyone can awaken these desires, and Shikamaru has no reason to lie to me about it. His tail is an erogenous zone and can stimulate him if touched in a certain way. From what I've observed, the base and tip of his tail are the most sensitive spots. As long as I don't touch his tail tenderly, I'll avoid any awkward misunderstandings with the sapphire-eyed boy. I feel like a big weight has just been lifted off my shoulders. The fact that Naruto might have feelings for me torments me a little too often…

I feel a presence approaching us, leaping. Naruto feels it too as he turns his head and looks in the same direction as me while hissing.

"Kakashi!" Tenzō greets me, who lands in front of us.

Based on his heartbeat and his darkened face, I fear the nature of his visit. "Yo. What are you doing here, Yamato?" I ask, repeating to Naruto that he's a friend.

"You have to go to the hospital urgently. Order of the Hokage."

Shikamaru and I let out a gasp of surprise at this rather unexpected summons. I only just got out of this damn hospital, and I already have to go back? What does that mean? Did Lady Tsunade find anything? Would she like to draw my blood again to confirm? Is this about Naruto? My heart accelerates in spite of myself; I have a very bad feeling…

"What… What's happening? For what?"

"The Hokage is waiting for us. I was told it would only take a few minutes."

I focus my attention on Naruto, who has stopped eating his treat. His now icy eyes don't deviate from Tenzō; at that, several hairs are ruffled. The situation seems urgent, and I doubt Naruto wants to set foot there again so soon.

I'm in a dilemma…

"Go ahead, I'll watch him for you," Shikamaru offers me, also concerned by this rather abrupt situation.

If it's just a matter of a few minutes… It should be fine; my student shouldn't experience too much anxiety if I'm not gone for a long time … even though he no longer has any sense of time.

I nod. The second my ass leaves the bench, Naruto grabs my wrist firmly to hold me back. He squeezes me so roughly that he makes me cry out in pain; he's crushing my wrist, to the point that his nails are digging into my flesh. He coldly glares at Tenzō with his eyes, his eyes that start lighting up like raging infernos.

"Na… Naruto. You hurt me. Let me go," I tell him, trying to get my wrist out of his painful grip.

Fortunately, he immediately releases me when he notices the nature of his abrupt gesture. I note that he wasn't aware of his strength or his act; his action was automatic. If I focus, I can sense that he's distraught, although he hides it from me, and does so brilliantly. I guess he doesn't want me to go with someone he doesn't know.

"You don't have to worry, Naruto. He's a trusted friend, and I won't be long," I reassure him by placing my hands on his shoulders. "Wait for me here with Shikamaru, okay?"

Naruto holds his breath and clings to my sleeve. He begs me not to go, not to follow him… I don't know what worries him so much. He's fully capable of waiting for my return with Shikamaru. It's not like it's the first time. I agree that he's a little overprotective at the moment due to my prolonged hospitalization. However, I don't have time to debate with him; Lady Tsunade has summoned me urgently, and I can only respond. Gently, I take his hand off of me.

"There's no danger, Naruto. It's not far, and I will come back very soon. I promise," I reiterate with a smile.

Reluctantly, Naruto doesn't hold me when I leave the table to join Tenzō. With his little anguished eyes, the teenager asks me again and again to stay, not to leave. Alas, I can't do otherwise.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," I mutter futilely.

Without further ado, Yamato and I nod before heading to the hospital. To say that I'm serene would be a lie; I'm both anxious about leaving Naruto alone and finding out why I have to go there. Enslaved to the pessimism, I convince myself that the news is bad … very bad… However, something is wrong, and I don't know why. To be honest, it's a bit fishy. I'm struck by a bad feeling that refuses to leave me like a fatal illness.

I shake my head. I've been imagining disaster scenarios of all kinds these last few days. My hospitalization had a major impact on my moral and mental health. I don't want to set foot there again; I struggle against my legs, which order me to turn back, to bolt in the opposite direction. My heart accelerates like my breath. A weird little voice in my head is screaming at me to stop. It's so loud that I can't hear anything other than this voice. I slam a hand against my forehead. I feel strange, so strange that I feel dizzy, like I'm drunk. I just follow Yamato on autopilot.

I fight against myself, as if there was another will of its own…

I raise my head when Tenzō cries out in pain while clutching his chest; at that, he slows down. "Yamato, are you okay?" I worry as we land on the ground, in a deserted alley.

He collapses to his knees, then to all fours. He begins to shake and groans in pain.

"Hey! Yamato!"

"My heart… I feel like it's gonna explode…"

I approach him, ready to examine him and find out what's wrong… I immediately stop and notice that his heartbeat is normal; at that, I detect no tremor in his breathing which seems forced.

I immediately take a step back.

This isn't Yamato, and this guy is playing me.

Unfortunately, because of my completely disordered thoughts, I feel a presence behind my back much too late. I don't have time to turn my head as I receive a blow from the edge of the hand on the back of my neck. I collapse to the ground, landing heavily on my stomach. My vision is blurring; black stars appear in bursts. In my helplessness, I realize that someone has touched my sleep reflexology point and that I'm losing consciousness.

I struggle with all my might to stay conscious, but my eyelids are too heavy, much too heavy. My body is paralyzed. My hands move miserably in a futile hope of crawling away. I hear voices like an echo, as if I were underwater. I'm having trouble seeing the feet in front of me … but there are six…

I sink into darkness.